Broken and Bent
by takiko-uchiha
Summary: Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke are assigned to an escort mission, their client? Why it's the Daimyo's son of course! Who coincidentally has a crush on our Pink Haired Kunoichi… what does Sasuke have say about that? Find out! Sasusaku! Rated T to be safe ;) Multi-chaptered!
1. Prologue

Hi guys, this is my first multi-chaptered fic and I hope you enjoy it 'till the end ;) so _obviously_ starting this fic a **few days **before school _starts_ wasn't wise ._.

But I will try very hard to find time to update this as soon as I'm finished with the chapters.

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Title: Broken and Bent

Summary: Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke are assigned to an escort mission, their client? Why it's the Daimyo's son of course! Who coincidentally has a crush on our Pink Haired Kunoichi… what does Sasuke have say about that? Find out! Sasusaku! Rated T to be safe ;) Multi-chaptered!

Date Started: May 28, 2013

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"We're not **Broken**, just **Bent** and surely we can learn to **_love_** again."

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Haruno Sakura sighed; she'd been working in the hospital for 10 hours straight. Her Chakra was low, which is expected, considering that she was working on patients after patients. The medical staff was low on Medics; most of them had been assigned on the field to aid Anbu Teams sent on emergency S-rank missions.

There were only 4 Doctors and a couple of nurses available at the Hospital. Usually that would suffice, but Team after Team rushed in the Hospital, Most of them were Anbus and Jounins.

Sakura had to perform emergency surgeries on 6 Anbus, 2 Jounin, and a group of wounded Genins on her own, along with a few nurses; Shizune was on a diplomatic mission to Suna and would return in a week. Tsunade-sama; buried in paperwork and meetings with the council.

The Anbus she worked on had second degree burns and bled on the sheets. The state they were in was horrifying; Kunai wounds, Bruises, Broken bones and some had punctured organs. It took the medical team 5 hours to stabilize an Anbu who took most of the Team's blow. Sakura's hands were stained red with blood; the air smelled of chemicals they used, combined with the stench of blood and the bodies gruesomely wounded. It was not sight to be seen.

Panting, Sakura exited the room; her last patient was safe from death's door. He would need a few more doses of Medicine to expel the remaining poison in his blood stream but he would live.

Walking towards the Lounge, she grabbed a mug and filled it with hot water, reaching for the coffee packet on the shelf. With the hot beverage in her hands, she sat on the sofa.

At the age of 19, Haruno Sakura had surpassed her Shishou. She was one of the best Doctors; the Land of Fire has to offer, passing her Jounin exam with flying colors a few months ago. She also inherited her Shishou's super strength and fiery temper; she was a force to be reckoned with.

Her Pink hair was now past her shoulders, though held up in a bun when she worked. She no longer wore her pink and red kunoichi gear, opting to wear her Konoha flak jacket instead. She wore a dark-colored, cropped, long-sleeved fishnet shirt underneath and pants that went down her knees, wearing sandals similar to Tsunade's.

Her team mates were always busy with Missions, they only got together once a week to spar.

The Brooding Uchiha had returned to Konoha 3 years ago, after the war ended; He was now an Anbu, She rarely saw him anymore. He passed his Chunnin and Jounin exams in less than a year and a half.

Uzumaki Naruto, the number one knuckle head ninja was still oblivious to Hinata liking him; He always insists on eating at Ichiraku's every weekend as a team, the only time she and her team ever spend together.

Their sensei, Hatake Kakashi rejoined the Anbu Corps and is always being sent on S-rank missions. They still talked but it would be brief.

Sai was still Sai and he and his mouth still pissed her off; He was a Jounin like her.

Yamato however, has served in Suna as the Hokage's foreign representative. He comes home every 6 months.

Sakura on the other hand, was stuck in Konoha. They needed her in the Hospital; she's been having cabin fever lately. Missing going on missions and being on the field.

She sighed, maybe she'll go ask Tsunade-sama for a mission later; but for now, sleeping would be heaven's gift. She closed her eyes and touched her aching head, sending chakra to lessen her migraine. She was almost drifting to sleep.

_Almost._

"Haruno Sakura, you are summoned by the Hokage. You are to report to her immediately" A masked Anbu brought her back to consciousness.

She groaned, "Hai, Hai. Stop with the formalities Neji… and drop the mask will you?"

"Hn"

Neji Hyuuga and Sakura had grown close these past few years. He helped her train for her Jounin exams and she accompanied him in most of his missions as their medic, He was also dating one of her best friends; Tenten.

"How's Tenten?" She asked him, walking towards the window of the Lounge while smirking.

"She's fine; we just got back from our mission"

"Retrieval Mission?"

"Hn" _that meant 'yes' in prodigy language_she thought, rolling her eyes.

"Well Neji, nice to see you after 2 weeks. Make sure to head down and get yourself checked for any injuries" with that she jumped off the window and headed for the Hokage's Tower.

It was past 7 pm when she was summoned, walking away from the Hospital and into the busy streets of Konoha. Her stomach grumbled, _Great!_She thought.

She only ate 2 onigiris for Dinner during her short break, and frankly she was _very_ hungry.

While on her way, she saw Ino dragging along a bored and unenthusiastic Shikamaru carrying a handful of shopping bags. She scoffed, _Typical Ino_; Ino was dating Sai but remained close friends with Shikamaru, dragging him along her shopping trips with Temari.

Most of her friends were dating someone, her being the odd one out.

Hinata was dating Naruto; **_Finally!_** Temari was (presumed to be) with Shikamaru while Tenten was secretly dating Neji.

She never found time to date, always being busy with work and helping Shizune with Tsunade's paper work. Ino thought otherwise, always dragging her to a bar and setting her up with eligible shinobi, God knows where her best friend found.

It wasn't that she didn't _want_ to date, she was an attractive woman with delicate features and striking pink hair that accentuated her Jade Green eyes; she is a skilled and intelligent Kunoichi.

Men are constantly asking her out, Civilians and Shinobis alike. She never accepted though, respectfully declining their offer; she shuddered at the thought of Naruto attacking her suitors. _Again..._

She passed through the market, picking up some Sake on the way and decided to walk above the rooftops instead to avoid the crowd of people below.

The Hospital was a good 40 minute walk from the Hokage Tower; upon reaching it, she entered through the window.

"You're late" The Hazel eyed woman said, raising an eyebrow at her.

Sakura smiled, "Sorry Shishou, I brought Sake though… am I in trouble?" She asked, holding a bottle in her right hand; eyes gleaming mischievously.

The Godaime Hokage laughed "Well, _That_ changes everything doesn't it? Now give it here Sakura" She said, holding out her hand towards Sakura.

"Hn" a voice behind them interrupted.

Tsunade spoke; visibly irritated. "Ah yes, ahem. I'll deal with that Sake later, Haruno Sakura you are assigned to an Escort Mission with Uchiha Sasuke."

Sakura groaned inwardly, she spent most of her time avoiding him. She didn't like the awkwardness when she tried to talk to him, and she avoided asking him out to eat as friends to avoid rejection. She couldn't even remember the last time she had a proper conversation with him.

_She was still in love with him…_

"You and the Uchiha will act as bodyguards for the Daimyo's son, He is to be escorted back home. You will be given a week for this mission and you leave Tomorrow morning, I suggest you get good rest."

Sakura glanced at Sasuke, trying to discern his emotions but his eyes were indifferent.

Tsunade looked across the two people inside her office, noticing how the Uchiha flinched when her apprentice entered, there was tension in the air but did not question it. She knew that her apprentice was avoiding the Uchiha but she didn't know why…

"That is all, you are both dismissed…"

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well guys I do hope you enjoyed this Chapter and stay tuned for the next one! :)) please do leave a review ;)


	2. Broken and Bent Friendship

Hello guys this is Chapter 2 of _**Broken and Bent**_! Please excuse any spelling mistakes _(if there are any) _and do leave a review :)))

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. The plot however is the intellectual property of the author and any resemblance to life is purely a coincidence.

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**Chapter 1:** Broken and Bent Friendship

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"She learned to _**stop**_ loving just when he learned to _**start**_."

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Uchiha Sasuke exited the Hokage's office, walking beside his female team-mate; Haruno Sakura.

It had been _Months_ since he last talked to her, He accompanied her during her Mission in Wave. He could say it ended badly, they were sent to gather information Hirota Makoto. The Drug dealer Lord's partner in Wave presumably kidnapping under aged children and sells them on the black market.

They split ways to cover more ground, their lead said about a private bar Hirota usually went… Sakura decided to go check there.

It been 2 hours before he met up with Sakura at the bar; She was with their Target, chatting him up and slyly gathering information. Sasuke didn't like how their target looked at Sakura though; it was like Chouji looking at the last piece of chips. It pissed him off, especially when the man's hands travelled up her thigh.

_Thinking_ they had enough information, he threw 2 long senbons at the man's eyes, killing him instantly, earning a glare from Sakura who was obviously not done extracting information.

He understood it was her job; He was irritated, he didn't think Sakura was right for the Mission; sure she was pretty and strong but she was _his_ team-mate. A girl he used to know, someone he _(yes He, though he won't admit it) _and Naruto would always be protective about.

_But their naïve, girly and helpless Sakura was gone_…

War changes people; they get wiser, they gain confidence and strength, they realize things that they didn't before. Sakura was no exception, she was wiser, stronger, hell she could even fling a large boulder at them without breaking a sweat.

Ever since he came back to Konoha, their relationship_ -if they even had one before-_ was far from normal. She no longer fawned about him, no longer asking him out, only talking to him when needed and generally avoiding him. He liked space and privacy but her behavior was so un-Sakura like, it disturbed him. Irritated him. _Annoyed _him. _He wasn't used to it_

She'd been on his mind ever since their Mission in Wave; he refuses to admit it.

_Was it her eyes that night? Her confidence? Was it her smile? Or was it that another man had touched her? _

_**NO.**_

It was because she was _his_, she'd always been _his_. She was _his_ team-mate, she was _his_ fangirl, and she was _his_ friend. It was not Love, he concluded. It couldn't be Love. Maybe he was acting and thinking this way because he and the rest of the team were protective about their only female.

Yeah, probably; He cared about her, he did not know if he loved her though.

Glancing towards her lithe form, he noted how her hair had grown longer; the dark circles under her eyes from sleepless nights in the hospital. Had she even eaten yet?

_He didn't know why she was avoiding him but he planned to._

She flinched under his gaze, "Sasuke-kun?" she said softly, looking confused. Suddenly a sound emitted, it was her stomach grumbling. "Ah, gomenasai Sasuke-kun" She added quietly with a faint blush on her cheeks. _Why me?_ She thought, mentally scolding herself.

He said nothing, stuffing his hands in his pockets and kept on walking. She stared at him for a second before she saw him look back at her, tilting his head a bit and walked away.

"Huh? Ah, wait up Sasuke-kun!" realizing that he was signaling her to follow him, she started to walk faster and caught up with him.

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They walked pass the crowds of people in the streets, Konoha's streets were still busting with life. It was only 8 pm, most Civilians had probably gone home by now though some remained. The streets were lit with bright lights and filled with lively store vendors calling in customers.

She and Sasuke walked towards Ichiraku, seeing their blonde hyper-active team-mate eating ramen with 4 empty bowls already in front of him.

Naruto looked at them both and gave them his signature smile. "Sakura-chan! Teme!" Sakura sat on his left, "Hello Naruto, eating alone? Where's Hinata? She greeted. "Don't tell me she left you already?" Taunted Sakura.

"Mou, Sakura-chan!" he grumbled, making her laugh.

Sasuke sat next to Sakura ordering his food, "Che, Dobe."

"What was that Teme!?"

"Hn."

A melodious laugh interrupted them; Sakura was talking to Ayame, grinning and laughing about something her boys didn't hear.

Ayame handed them their Ramen, "Hai, Pork for you Sakura" placing it down in front of her, "and Beef for Sasuke!" Teuchi added, handing him his bowl.

Sakura picked up her chopsticks and grabbed the salt, "So Naruto, why are you all alone tonight? You haven't told me yet." She started, Sasuke listening.

Slurping more of his ramen, he replied. "They're having a clan meeting; Neji took her away while we were on our date, -ttebayo."

"So, how about you Sakura-chan? I haven't seen you around. No missions lately?" asked Naruto looking curious. He missed her, getting tired of being stuck on Missions withSasuke all the time. Mumbling something about _'sick bastard, banning Ramen on our missions' _

"Actually we got an escort mission tomorrow, it'll take a week or so."

"We?" he questioned.

"Sasuke-kun and I, Shishou called us in earlier."

Naruto looked at them both, "Not fair guys! Why didn't Baa-chan call me as well!?"

"Hn, Dobe"

"Shut up Sasuke-Teme!"

Sakura sighed; her migraine was coming back; Naruto's constant banters making it worse. "SHUT THE HELL UP, SHANNARO!" She yelled, smacking him without chakra.

Rubbing his head, "Mou, that hurt Sakura-chan!"

"Hmph, you should never have yelled in public Baka!"

Sasuke Shifted in his seat and stood up, looking at Sakura "We meet at the First gate, 5 am sharp." he spoke and walked away, leaving money on the table enough for two; disappearing into the night.

Seeing Sakura sigh, Naruto grinned. "Don't worry Sakura-chan; Teme's just got a stick up his ass again. He's probably still pissed 'cause I beat him during our spar!"

She stood up, "Yeah… I'm sorry Naruto, I gotta go. It's getting late…"

"Oh, Oh yeah. Wait up, atleast let me walk you home Sakura-chan!" He said standing up and hastily leaves money on the table "Bye, Old man, Ayame-nee! Money's on the table, -Ttebayo!"

They walked down the streets, opting to walk down a quieter lane. The moon was out and shone brightly, it was a cool night; the wind was gently howling, crickets chirping near them.

"Nee, Sakura-chan. When are you gonna join us for training again? Teme and Asshole aren't any fun. We kinda miss you… dattebayo"

"_Yeah right…"_ She replied quietly.

"No, no, no I swear! Teme doesn't say anything but I swear it's bothering him! And-and Sai has also been wondering where you were. You haven't joined us last week… and the week before."

"I… was busy…" She said, walking faster.

"You still love him, don't you…?" He whispered.

She laughed and sighed "I-I don't know… I'm tired of him and his _compliments_."

"C'mon Sakura-chan you know he doesn't mean it"

She scoffed, "You guys were on a mission last month… Tsunade was supposed to assign me as your medic but you guys objected… I heard him say I wasn't right for the job"

"Sasuke just doesn't want you hurt, it was S-rank! _And_ it was a seduction mission!" He defended.

"So you guys thought I couldn't do it huh? Sure, leave Sakura why don't you. She won't mind. It's always been like this Naruto! We are a _Team _but you guys constantly leave me!..." She said; her tone slightly louder.

He didn't know what to say, her eyes were moist with tears forming around her eyes.

They stopped walking, reaching her apartment complex "Thank you for walking me home Naruto, I appreciate it. Sayonara" she said, bidding him goodnight and kissed his cheeks.

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She entered her apartment, her head throbbing; walking towards her shower and undressing, she turned on the faucet letting the warm water rid her of her stress.

Stepping out of her shower, she dons on her baggy shirt and wore shorts underneath. _Sleep would be nice now_, she thought.

But she had to pack for tomorrow's mission; grabbing her weapon pouch, a few clothes and emergency supplies, she threw them inside her pack. She couldn't find any more energy to pack and crashed on top of her bed wanting to never wake up again.

_She drifted into slumber and dreamt of a man with blood-red eyes…_

_Uchiha Sasuke_

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So guys I hope you enjoyed this Chapter and stay tuned for the next one! Feel free to leave a review :))))


	3. Broken and Bent Trust

Good morning/afternoon/evening! People, so uh this is Chapter 2. Have you read the latest manga chapter yet!? OwO saw a SasuSaku moment there! No spoilers though. I nearly screamed my feels out last night, can't wait for chapter 633 next week so in the mean time let's go read fanfics to strengthen our youthfulness! Lol I sound like lee =w= no probs, he's cool.

Anyway sorry for this long Author's note, and with that please enjoy this chapter and leave a review puwishhh?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto; it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto who left out Kiba's face triangle-less on chapter 632.

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**Chapter 2:** Broken and Bent Trust

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"She wanted to be his _**everything**_, but he made her feel like _**nothing**_..."

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Haruno Sakura groaned; her alarm clock was _blaring_, she opened her eyes slowly, taking in the light that cascaded against her curtains. Glancing at her alarm clock and cursed; she stood up briskly, grasping aspirin in her medicine cabinet, consuming it in desperation; her migraine receded gradually through the night, though there was occasional throbbing.

She entered her shower, turning on the faucet. The ice-cold water was harsh against her skin, pricking her with its temperature; she didn't stay for long, much to her dismay, she was already late as it is, Sasuke would be fuming by now.

It was already 6:15, she was supposed to meet him an hour ago; her body thought otherwise. She was compelled to leave now to prevent angering her Team mate, he had a certain distaste for tardiness and protocol stated that a Shinobi is supposed to be on time.

Rushing towards the first gate, she was met with his heated narrow stare; He was leaning on a tree branch above her, concealing his chakra. He was geared in his usual Anbu attire, his mask hung near his waist.

"You're late" he stated, landing softly in front of her.

"Sorry… I kinda slept in" she said sheepishly, biting her lip, shuffling her feet.

"Hn." He grunted, taking out a scroll from his pouch, unwinding the string which bound it into place and placed it in front of her. "This is where we have to go" he said, pointing to their location; it was the Lightning country, founded on a peninsula north-east of the Land of Fire.

This country was infamous for its vast mountain ranges, stretching far into the coast. Many rivers flow out from the mountains heading to the sea, creating a crooked coastline displaying a majestic ocean in its midst.

"If we go this route, we will reach it by Sunday." He stated, lightly etching their path with his finger.

Sakura replied, expressing her opinion confidently. "I beg to differ, a lot of bandits and rogues travel this path, and I think we should travel by foot up to Yu no Kuni (Land of Hot water) and travel east by boat to avoid turmoil in crossing the border."

Handing Sakura a new scroll; her confused face motioning him to explain.

"The Daimyo's son expressed his interest in visiting Shimogakure and Yu no Kuni for a day or two, The Hokage granted his request and turned this mission from an Escort mission to a joint Diplomatic Mission. We are to asses Shimo's infrastructures and report to her when we get back"

"Oh, and what time do we leave?" She asked, giving him back the scroll.

"We leave in 3 hours, Dismissed." He said before poofing off, leaving Sakura alone.

She nodded and walked away, headed for her apartment. Sakura hasn't packed her pack yet, choosing to chuck a few items in dishevelment. She still needed to pick up a few supplies; a couple of protein bars, a few medicinal items and a few scrolls to read on the way. She also needed to go meet Ino before she left not to mention say goodbye to Naruto.

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Sakura reached her apartment, packing a week worth of clothes. She walked towards her pack, fixing the things inside and slinging it on her back. She grabbed her flak jacket before leaving.

Walking in the streets of Konoha, she went to the Pharmacy and grabbed a few bandages, antidotes, and a couple of soldier pills; Meeting Kiba on the way out.

"Hey, Fancy meeting you here this early" She greeted Kiba, patting Akamaru's head.

Inuzuka Kiba smiled; he had a small crush at Sakura and took her on a date once, "Yeah, came to pick up Medicine for Akamaru… He's sick today so I took him to the vet and she gave us this list of medical mumbo jumbo" He said, holding up a piece of paper.

Scanning the paper, Sakura spoke "Well I have to go, Mission today"

"Oh… Oh! Hey Sakura…" He said, grabbing her wrist before she walked away.

"You free Saturday night?"

"Yeah, I guess so, why?"

"I'd like to take you out for a date… you know as a token of my gratitude since you helped me give a bath to Akamaru 2 weeks ago… B-but you don't have to I mean you're busy and all…" He mumbled, Shuffling his feet and stroking the back of his head.

"Yeah... I'd love to but if I get a Mission it's off okay? And make sure Akamaru drinks his medicine on time."

"Sure thing" Kiba replied, giving her a thumbs up.

Sakura patted Akamaru's head, earning a pleased woof from the big canine. "Well I really have to go Kiba, bye Akamaru" She walked away.

Kiba and Akamaru looked her retreating form, once she was out of ear shot, Kiba spoke to his partner. "She's hot, isn't she buddy?"

"Woof!" Akamaru barked in agreement.

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Sakura was walking towards The Yamanaka flower shop; suddenly stopped by a swooping Messenger Hawk, taking the message tied to it before it flew away.

_Note: Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke, You are both summoned to the Hokage Tower to meet your client in private in half an hour._

_-Godaime Hokage; Tsunade Senju_

She stuffed the note inside her pockets and held the door of the flower shop open; seeing Ino behind the counter with her feet up, reading the latest copy of 'Kunoichi Mag'. "Irrashaimasen… welcome to Yamanaka's flower shop, do you need any help?" she was greeted with a flat tone.

"Wouldn't your mother be proud" She replied, smirking at her friend behind the magazine.

"Forehead!" Ino yelled, gleefully. Setting her magazine down on the counter, her hand placed on her chin, smiling.

"Hello Ino-pig!" Sakura replied, opening her arms for a hug. The two Kunoichis embraced and laughed.

"I haven't seen you since last _week_, where the hell have you been Forehead!? I met this cute guy at the bar who would be _perfect_ for you!" Ino scolded.

Sakura scoffed, giving Ino a small smile, "Pig, you're sounding like my mother now"

"Why? She still sets you up with boring ass men?"

Sakura shuddered, remembering her last date set up by her mother. It was a _**disaster**_, the guy kept on stuttering and coughing up during dinner. She swore his saliva went into her soup.

The one_ before_ that was also a disaster; the man was _35 years old_ for crying out loud! And he was touchy; she sent him flying across the room, smashing 3 tables in front of them.

It was safe to say that Sakura was done going on blind dates… _especially_ if it was set up by her _Mother_ or _Ino_.

"Yeah, unfortunately… Actually I came by to tell you that I have a mission and I need you to look after my apartment while I'm gone" She said, handing Ino the keys.

Ino raised her hands to a Salute, "You can count on me Forehead! So, is this a solo-mission or…?"

"I'm on a Mission with Sasuke, Escort and Diplomatic Mission combined into one."

Ino's eyes widen "Well, I'll be… How do you feel about this Forehead? You're not still in love with him are you? That asshole doesn't even deserve you…"

"I-I don't know… I mean… I… It's complicated Ino…" Sakura replied, twirling her hair nervously.

"C'yeah, you're right. So, this client of yours… he's cute or what?" Ino replied, grinning like the Cheshire cat.

"_Ino!_" She flustered.

"I'm kidding Forehead, lighten up will ya?" Ino said mischievously.

Taking a flower petal in her hands, Sakura spoke. "We haven't actually _seen_ him yet, Tsunade-sama said he's the Daimyo's son though"

Ino swatted Sakura's hand away the flower "Forehead don't take petals off, seriously my mother will get mad. Daimyo's son huh, well at least he's rich… you got dibs?" She teased.

"Ino!"

"Kidding! Sheesh.." sticking her tongue out.

Sakura glanced at her wrist watch, "I gotta go Ino-pig, Tsunade-sama told us to meet our client in her office… Jaa" She said before disappearing with a _poof!_

* * *

Sakura left the flower shop and made her way to Ichiraku's; finding her team-mate Uzumaki Naruto outside the place arguing with another man.

Naruto was yelling at a man, who was about the same height. His Dark Purple Hair was spiky; His Eyes were Blue-green in color, an exquisite color she noted. He was wearing a Dark Blue sleeve-less shirt with black pants, he was not wearing a forehead protector. _He was Handsome._

Calling her Team mate's name, the argument was interrupted. She ran towards Naruto, "What seems to be the problem here?" she asked the Blonde.

He pointed to the man in front of them, "This guy here bumped into me-"

"And spilled _hot_ Ramen all over me, Sakura-chan!" he continued.

Sakura looked at the man; He was a few inches taller than her.

"I beg to differ, This-" He looked at Naruto. "Idiotic Shinobi, was running with Ramen in his hands and bumped into _me_."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY TEME!" Naruto Interrupted.

The man was supposed to respond but Sakura squeezed between them. "Look here, you are both grown men. You guys are scaring civilians! Now, apologize to each other before I send you both to the Hospital! SHANNARO!"

Naruto backed up, "O-okay Sakura-chan… I'm sorry… _Jackass_" He said, muttering the last part quietly.

Sakura looked at the man waiting for his apology, "Well?" She said, raising an eyebrow at him, tapping her foot impatiently. She didn't have time for this, the Hokage is calling her.

"Hmph. No."

"_Bad Decision, Asshole… you're gonna get it."_ Naruto thought.

"Heh, SHANNAROO!" She yelled, punching him into the wall. "Tough"

The man held his jaw and smirked, "Well, you're a tough cookie aren't you?" and stood up. Walking towards Sakura, grabbing her hand and kissed it "I do hope we meet again…" He said before disappearing into a gust of wind.

"TEME! Did you just-" Naruto Yelled.

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Sakura blinked, unsure of what just occurred. "Naruto…?"

"Hai..?"

"Did he just… _**Kiss**_ my hand?"

"Hai…"

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_This was really a weird day in the making._

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Guys, please leave a **review**! Next Chapter is probably going to be released tomorrow! I gotta log off now. EXO's comeback is in a few minutes on Mcountdown! *faints* and the Land of Hot water is_ real_; It was on Naruto wiki :))))))


	4. Broken and Bent Coincidences

Hello cyber-world, so this is Chapter 3 of _**Broken and Bent**_. So EXO's comeback was yesterday _ I forgot to breathe hahaha, everyone was so frickin' hot. Anyways, please enjoy and leave a review :)) please excuse my first attempt to write a fight scene =w= so this is a long chapter because I will be out-of-town on Saturday so I might not be able to post a new Chapter but by Sunday night, this would be updated.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto; it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto the troll who can't pick a pairing yet :

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**Chapter 3:** Broken and Bent Coincidences

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"She loves him more than he'll ever _**know**_; He loves her more than he'll ever _**show**_"

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Uchiha Sasuke woke up, feeling a bit fatigued from his Mission yesterday; he wanted to relax or sleep in after he returned but the Hokage _immediately_ assigned him to _another_ mission, much to his utter annoyance. With _Sakura_ none the less, he didn't have anything against her per se; he just didn't want her to get hurt under his watch, he was confident she won't, but a part of him was objecting. He owed her his protection, he nearly killed her years ago after all; and… he _cared_ about her.

His mission in Rock went without a hitch; it was a simple solo-assassination mission, coming back home exhausted from a mission only to be assigned to another one was not on his to-do list. He never hated the Hokage as much as he does today.

He got out the shower, water still dripping from his head to his body; drying himself with a towel. It was dawn when he woke up, 3 am exactly; insomnia kept him half awake. Cursing his wet towel before grabbing another one to wipe his face, the cold misty air brushed against him; refreshing him.

A Messenger Hawk landed on his Balcony, a note tied to its feet. The Hokage wanted to meet him. _**Now**_. He crumpled the paper, throwing it somewhere in his room, mentally cursing the Hokage to eternity.

He wore his Anbu gear, his Kusanagi strapped on his back and his Mask slapped on his face. With a few hand signs, he faded away.

* * *

He _hated_ council meetings; he was acting as his Anbu Taichou's stand in today who _coincidentally_ got the flu. Sasuke scoffed, _his ass_.

Halfway through the meeting the 'crazy old goons' kept on going in his business, now he knew why Tsunade sent Shizune to most of these meetings which lasted a bloody hour and half.

Straight from the council meeting, the Hokage summoned him to her office for mission debriefing.

He strode along the hallway leading to Tsunade's office, taking his time. He knocked on the door twice, letting himself in; meeting the Hokage's gaze. She sat behind her desk, fingers tapping on the table; waiting for him to speak.

"You asked for me Hokage-sama?" he asked, in a bored tone. Not even flinching at the Hokage's smug look, which most Anbu would call a _smile fit for disaster._

"Yes…" She spoke slowly, testing his patience. He raised an eyebrow at her, sighing with impetuosity. He could be packing or sneaking in a short training session with the Dobe instead of playing the waiting game with the Hokage.

Tsunade smirked, "The Daimyo's son expressed his desire to travel to Shimogakure before heading home. It would give us the advantage to… evaluate their situation without suspicion… Shimo's been acting… a bit weird lately. Watch their every move, Uchiha." She said sternly, choosing her words carefully.

Sasuke nodded, disappearing in a blink. He understood her words… _something was up wrong in Shimogakure._

* * *

He had time to spare, it was still early, and he would have to meet Sakura in half an hour, 5 am was their meeting time.

Walking towards the training grounds, he figured he should stretch before their mission or meditate, no straining chakra use; The Land of Hot water was 2 days away, they would have to travel by foot.

"Hey, you up for a spar?" a voice called out behind him, the voice's owner was pacing towards him with a confident look.

The intruder had nerve to ask _him _for a spar so easily, he was Uchiha Sasuke. But he was looking for an easy target, and the Dobe wasn't here yet…

"Hn, I won't spar with an unknown man." He said, eyes narrowing.

The man sneered, "Why, are you as chicken as your hair? I'm just a normal guy looking for fun… ne? what'dyou say?"

The Sharingan wielder scoffed, applauding his bravery yet condemning is brashness. He got into a fighting stance, _so much for chakra conserving_, he thought.

Sasuke charged first, swinging his Kusanagi at the man from above; the man dodged it easily, leaning to the left, avoiding the blade's full blow but did not leave unscathed.

The man smirked, advancing on him at full speed, a kunai in his hand; he stopped halfway and flung a barricade of kunais at Sasuke.

Sasuke activated his sharingan, evading the attack. He performed a series of hand signs; _Serpent, Sheep, Monkey, Pig, Horse, Tiger. _**Katon! Goukakyuu no Jutsu! **A large scorching fireball engulfed the field, charring grass and other unfortunate beings stuck in its rage.

The man was nowhere to be seen; _Heh, Coward._ Thought Sasuke. Panting steadily, the wind blew; he took a whiff at the scent of burned grass and leaves. The training ground was damaged with craters created from the Fireball; _**Tsunade would kill him and his paycheck. **__Like he cared._

Sasuke walked away in displeasure, he thought that the man would be a challenge… but dropped the issue, it was half past 5; he was already late. He dashed towards the first date, not even breaking a sweat. His Chakra was slightly drained, nothing dangerous, he doesn't worry about it.

He reached the gate, settling on top of a tree near the benches. _5:45_, she was late. No problem, he was too, he decided to cut her some slack- after all, she'd been working on most of his Anbu Squad-mates yesterday.

_5:57_, there was no sight of her; he was getting impatient every passing minute; 8 minutes passed, _6:05_, still not there. Tapping his foot against the branch he finally saw her. She came _**6:15**_ am… an hour and 15 minutes late.

* * *

Mission debriefing was now over, they had 3 hours to prepare before they left. He decided to drop in the Market to pick up his Katana blade, he took to fix the other day. He noticed a familiar shade of pink among the crowds of people, she was with Kiba.

He noted how she smiled and how her gaze softened around him, her hand resting on her waist. Kiba was flustered, he walked closer; concealing his Chakra, He could hear their faint conversation.

_**Did he just ask her on a date… **_Screw that, Kiba was going to have a _nice_ long chat with Team 7 when they get back.

He decided to follow in her suit, masking his Chakra of course, he didn't want her to see him, he was not spying of course, and he was certainly not eavesdropping. He would consider this as checking up on her, they were team-mates weren't they? He had the right.

He saw her enter Yamanaka's flower shop, probably visiting her loud-mouth friend; were all blondes like this? No offence to anyone but he thought Naruto was a good example, Ino was blonde… and the Kazekage's sister was blonde… so is Tsunade and they're all Loud-mouthed and energetic. Maybe _it was a genetic condition…?_

He crept up against the alley of the shop, waiting for voices when a Messenger Hawk came; The Hokage was summoning both of them… _again_.

Sasuke grumbled, he decided to abandon following her and teleported into his apartment. Yes apartment… he didn't live in the Uchiha Compound… he couldn't bear to live alone in a place where he'd once feel so loved. It haunts his dreams and leaves his spirit crushed to some extent.

The grabbed his pack, already packed neatly yesterday. Pacing towards his fridge, he grasped the last tomato and chewed it, savoring the flavor. He grunted and left for the Hokage's Tower.

* * *

He reached it in a flash, opting to enter through the window; the Hokage was sitting on her desk under a mountain of paperwork. "Uchiha, didn't I tell you to take the door? Why is everyone entering through my window…" She said muttering to herself.

"Hn."

"And we should make another Mission for you; its how to learn to speak _full_ sentences hmm..?" She teased. Sasuke did'nt reply, he stood in front of her clad in his Anbu glory.

"You summoned me… Hokage-_sama_?"

Tsunade rolled her eyes at his impatience, "Yes, why don't you take a seat over there-" She pointed to a bench near her door. "And wait for Sakura, your client will be here in a few minutes…" Tsunade said; not even looking up from the stacks of paper.

Sasuke refused to sit, choosing to stand still in his place, Tsunade let him be. The door suddenly opened, a jounin tower guard came; "Hokage-sama, your apprentice is here to see you."

"Yes, let her in… oh and get me another bottle will you?" She said, taking a sip of Sake hidden underneath her desk.

Sakura strolled inside, with Naruto pacing behind her; muttering incoherent words and something about _pervy purple headed kissing monsters around Konoha_.

Naruto brought his hand on her desk, shaking the stacks of paper. "BAA-CHAN! We need to highten security around here! There's some purple headed Asshole strolling around the streets of Konoha -ttebayo!" He yelled.

"Naruto…" Tsunade interrupted.

Naruto continued his rant… "An-And! He _**kissed**_ SAKURA-CHAN! We gotta warn _everybody_! We should keep Sakura-chan in a safe place -ttebayo! Maybe in one of your safe cells you placed Teme in!"

Tsunade was feeling that a migraine was coming, "Naruto…"

Naruto kept on ranting, pacing back and forth in front of her desk, his two team-mates behind him sighing and irritated.

Sakura had enough; carefully adding a small amount of Chakra in her fist, she rammed her hand on his head, earning a yelp from the blonde man. "SHANNARO! Shut the hell up Naruto-baka! It was just a kiss for heaven's sake!"

"Just…a kiss Sakura-chan! No no no-no no NO." Sakura face palmed, He was acting like her father now.

"Dobe.."

"WHAT THE _HELL_ WAS THAT TEME!"

The Hokage had enough, they were acting like Genin in her office, she flicked her finger against the ground, shaking the room and stopping their argument. "Naruto one more word and I'll take you off the Mission list for a _month_…" She warned.

_That shut the whiskered man up. _

She took another sip of Sake before she continued. "Your client is here-" holding her hands out motioning to the door. Sakura and Sasuke turned, the door opened. A tall man entered boisterously.

"YOU!" yelled Naruto and Sakura, Sasuke raised his eyebrows at them. Recognizing the man from his spar.

Naruto pointed at the man, "Teme! Baa-chan that's the monster that kissed Sakura-chan!"

His hair was a messy dark purple, Eyes blue-green in color, his slightly tanned face twisted up into a smirk; he'd changed his clothes however, wearing a long purple kimono embellished with a black dragon and lined with dark violet fabric. His Kimono is loose exposing his dark blue sleeve-less shirt and standard black pants kept together with a navy sash.

The said man walked towards the Hokage, winking at her Pink haired apprentice, earning a glare from the Sharingan wielder and curses from the Ramen loving blonde.

He stopped beside the older woman, waiting for her to speak. Once Naruto's protests died down thanks to Sakura's fist, she spoke. "This is the Lightning Daimyo's son, Hayasaka Keiichi. "

She looked back at Team 7, and continued. "It seems that you all know each other, but for security reasons these 2-" she said pointing at Sakura and Sasuke. "Will be your escorts for the duration of your travel." She ended.

Keiichi smiled at Sakura, "I never knew Konoha had the most beautiful girl in the Land of Fire your eminence…" He said, never taking his yes off her.

Sakura blinked, turning into a darker shade of pink and fiddling with her fingers behind her back, making Keiichi smile more. He turned to walk towards her only to be stopped by Naruto, "HEY BUDDY, BACK OFF! SHE'S OUR SAKURA-CHAN!"

"Heh, a woman is no one's possession…" He retorted, looking up and down Naruto and walked pass him.

Tsunade looked amused, not by Naruto's rants but by how Uchiha Sasuke's glare deepened and how his fist clenched. She couldn't help but laugh inwardly, if she was not the Hokage she'd be laughing like a mad man by now.

* * *

Hi guys, what did you think about this chapter? **MissKonoha** and **Tiger Priestess** both guessed it right, it was the Daimyo's son xDD Thankyou for the reviews :))) I'd also like to say thanks to Chealsea and Muffy for helping me pick the name for Keiichi.

Question: would you like to read a GenmaSaku fic in the future? xD


	5. Broken and Bent Paths

Hello readers! :D thank you for taking the time to read my fic and thanks for leaving awesome reviews XDD I'm terribly sorry that this chapter took longer. Without further ado, please sit back and relax while reading this chapter :))))

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto; it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto who created the awesome Naruto universe! xDD

* * *

**Chapter 4:** Broken and Bent Paths

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"She likes _**him**_. He likes _**her**_. Everyone knows. Except _**them**_…"

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Haruno Sakura was loading the horse-drawn cart with Sasuke near the First gate, preparing for their trip to Shimogakure. Both of them were _irritated_ as **hell**. Naruto wouldn't leave them alone, cursing the Purple headed '_perv'_ as he called it.

Hayasaka Keiichi (The Daimyo's son) was out of sight, settling matters with the Hokage before they left, Naruto took this time to rant even more.

"I can't _believe_ that that's the _Bastard_ you're gonna Escort… when I get my hands on him I'll-" Naruto said muttering under his breath.

Sakura sighed, deciding it would be best to ignore the blonde man's rants; besides they have to finish loading the cart with Keiichi's belongings before he and his entourage comes back.

"-Can you believe him… that arrogant no good… TAKING OUR SAKURA-CHAN!" Naruto continued, making hand gestures.

"Hn." Sasuke grunted, he was getting tired of Naruto's loud voice but silently agreed with the blonde.

Sakura couldn't take it anymore, She gently dropped the box she was holding before she turned to Naruto; "Naruto, if you don't shut the hell up… I'm going to punch you to the nearest wall and make sure you end up in Hospital with no Ramen for 2 _weeks_…" She warned, looking dead serious; Naruto gulped and kept his mouth shut, grumbling silently.

Sasuke handed Sakura the last box and she set it aside near the rest of Keiichi's things, she entered inside the small carriage, fixed the seats and cushions, raising the blinds to let air circulate in.

They were done with the preparation when the Hokage came by with Keiichi to see them off. Keiichi walked pass the Hokage and stopped in front of her before bowing, "Thank you for your kindness during my stay in Konoha, Hokage-sama…"

"Iie, the pleasure was all mine" She said, bowing her head slightly, "please extend my good wishes to your father."

Keiichi bowed again and smiled, "of course". Tsunade looked at Sakura and Sasuke, "I trust you both to make sure of his safety, be sure to make it home in a week's time and be careful on your way."

"Hai" They replied.

Sakura turned to Keiichi, "Hayasaka-sama, when you are ready." She said formally, holding the door to the carriage open. Keiichi smirked and bowed in front of her, looking at her blonde team-mate who was silently fuming. _Oh how he enjoyed pissing Naruto off._

He entered the Carriage, with his entourage riding another carriage behind it and they set off on their journey.

* * *

They have been travelling for two hours now, Sasuke was up front checking for any danger while Sakura walked beside the Carriage, ready for any sudden attacks.

"So… your name is Haruno Sakura right?" Keiichi spoke, interrupting Sakura's concentration. "Wha-, oh uh… Yes Hayasaka-sama." She replied.

Keiichi was leaning against the window grinning at her. "Eh, the Hokage's famed apprentice… I heard you already surpassed her, it must've been hard." He stated, looking curious.

"Yes, it was but it was worth it. I doubt I've surpassed her though, she still has a lot of things to teach me and her wisdom and experience will always be an asset."

He stared directly at her eyes causing her to turn away slightly, "Not a lot of people can punch me through a wall though, and you're pretty tough. You're not like any of the girls I've seen."

Sakura didn't know whether he meant it as a compliment and didn't reply, merely nodding at him.

"I like girls who aren't afraid to punch me through a wall." He said softly, chuckling at her surprised form; "Don't worry; you didn't hit _me_ hard enough to 'cause hallucinations. I actually thought you were awesome from stories in Kumogakure, they said your techniques match sannin level… but they never told me _anything_ about your beauty"

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A voice in front of them interrupted, "Hayasakan-san" it was Sasuke.

Sakura noticed there was something off about Sasuke; His eyes were darker, lips pressed into a line and his tone annoyed.

"We are stopping at that clearing-" He said, pointing to a grassy field. "-to take a break, the horses need water." He turned to Sakura, handing her 4 empty buckets; "Sakura, fill these up; I'll watch over The Daimyo's son."

Sakura took hold of the bucket's handle; mentally hitting herself. The last person she wanted to hear about their conversation was Sasuke, he probably won't care but none the less, she didn't want him to…

_What did she feel about Sasuke…? _She sighed, even she did not know what to think, it was just a friendly chat wasn't it? Still, why did she feel like her stomach was all jumbled up?

She paced towards the small lake near the clearing, crouching as she collected water to fill up the buckets. Sakura was halfway done when she felt another person crouch next to her. She looked to the side and saw Keiichi, wondering where Sasuke was; he was supposed to be watching the Daimyo's son. "Your team-mate went to gather fire wood…" he said, answering her unspoken question.

She saw him filling up one the buckets; "Oh, you don't have to do that your highness. I can do that!" She said, attempting to grab the bucket out of his hands.

He jerked his arm away before she'd manage to reach the container, "Nope, I can't let you do all the work, besides you're probably tired. I saw you working in the Hospital yesterday; you were healing a badly wounded Anbu right?"

"Hai, Hayasak-"

"Drop the formalities, call me Keiichi…Sakura; or would you rather I call you Haruno-san?"

Sakura turned to him, her lips curled up into a small smile, "I guess calling you Keiichi is fine." She said standing up, "but we have to go back before everyone notices we're gone."

Keiichi smirked and stood up, walking faster to catch up with her.

Meanwhile, a certain black haired Uchiha was watching the scene unfold on top of a tree; eyes glowing red, his palms digging into the tree, scarring his finger tips but cared less; Thinking of ways to murder someone secretly.

* * *

Thank you for reading this fic! The next chapter will be up tomorrow; anyways I'm so excited since EXO's album release is today! What did you guys think about this chap? Leave a review and let your voice be heard! :)))

P.S: do you guys have any advice on how to write a fight scene? Anyone interested in helping me? :D


	6. Broken and Bent Decisions

Hello guys, thank you for the suggestions and tips last chapter, It really helped me a lot! XDD

This chapter is a bit longer than the rest since some of you requested longer chapters. (Well… at least I think it's long enough? But please tell me if this is too short or if I should make it longer) :))))

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto; it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto who created the awesome Naruto universe! xDD

* * *

**Chapter 5:** Broken and Bent Decisions

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"She wanted to _**walk away**_… but he grabbed her arm and told her to _**stay**_."

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Uchiha Sasuke was done gathering fire wood; he placed them on top of the horse-drawn wagon. They would need it later; he knew they would have to camp out; they would not reach the land of Hot water today.

The terrain was harsh as they were getting further, away from Konoha, They might reach the border if they moved faster but the horses needed to rest, the sun was set high up the sky.

Dehydration was highly possible; the horses needed water and most of Keiichi's guards needed to rest after walking under the blazing hot sun, the only people who rode the carriages were The Daimyo's son and his ministers.

They decided to stop on a grassy field, the guards were huddled together on the field; He decided to climb up the tree, observing their surroundings and found Sakura near the river, collecting water as he said but she was not alone.

_Keiichi was with her…_

He saw their exchange of smiles, unconsciously turning his Sharingan on, he clenched the wood, splitting it to pieces, it dug into his palms but he was focused on the sight of Sakura with Keiichi. They were heading back, buckets filled with water.

A snake slithered up the tree, stopping near Sasuke, "Sssssasssuke-sssama…"

"Report"

"6 Sssshinobi… are coming thissss way…" it whispered.

"Hn."

* * *

Sakura and Keiichi walked back towards the clearing and placed the buckets in front of the horses.

Sakura sat down on the grass, leaning on the tree behind her and pulled out a scroll; Reading was her favorite past time. Keiichi followed her, sitting beside her; He glanced over her shoulder, looking at the scroll, his face scrunched up in confusion. "So Sakura, what'cha reading about?" He said, breaking her concentration.

"It's nothing, just a list of Medicinal herbs I need to get in Shimogakure. I forgot to add some things so I'm doing it now."

"Oh, so tell me; when did you decide to be a kunoichi?" He asked, attempting to strike up a conversation.

"Well…" She said, biting the pencil.

"I-I used to be bullied a lot when I was a kid, Ino used to save me. I didn't want to be a burden to her always so I thought that I should go train harder and be a Kunoichi like her. My parents were also Shinobi but they didn't force me to be one…"

"I know the feeling; I also got bullied a lot. My aniki and his friends would tease me everyday…"

Sakura sat up, curious; "You have an older brother?"

He smiled sadly, "Yes… well not anymore. He died during the war."

Her eyes widen, "Oh, I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-". Keiichi gave her a reassuring smile, "It's okay, you didn't know."

"What is it like? you know living as the Daimyo's son?" She asked, changing the topic.

"You'd think it was easy, sure I had a lot of servants but my Father was stricter on _me_. I had to practice my Sword techniques everyday until I dropped from exhaustion, Aniki had no problem… he would become Daimyo after our father. He was naturally good with Swords and was an excellent military tactician; I had to train and study hard to please my father. " He replied.

Sakura's eyes softened, he reminded her of Sasuke; _if Sasuke-kun was more open… would he tell me things like this? Did he feel this way too?_ She thought.

Keiichi continued, looking up at the sky, his hands placed behind his head. "My father wants me to become the Daimyo once he's retired; I'm not good at these things unlike my brother who had formal training…"

"I'm sure you'd make a great Daimyo, Keiichi" She said, smiling.

"I actually wanted to be a Musician like my mother…" He added.

Sakura stared back at him with curious eyes. "You play instruments?"

Keiichi smiled, "Yeah, I play the flute… I can play it for you… if you'd like" he said, running his hands through his hair.

She was about to reply when she sensed Sasuke's chakra; he was walking towards them, Sakura stood up.

"a word, Sakura…" he said, his arms crossed.

She turned back to Keiichi, offering him a small smile, "Excuse me Keiichi…" She said before catching up to Sasuke.

* * *

Sasuke was walking beside Sakura along a forest trail, "We would have more privacy here…" He left a clone behind to look after Keiichi and his entourage.

They stopped walking when they reached a small cave, "We can't stay for long, Rogues scour these areas." He stated.

"Do you sense anyone here?" She asked.

"My snakes reported about Shinobi coming this way… probably Jounin"

"The Daimyo's guards aren't trained Shinobi, I doubt they could fend off whoever is chasing us." Sakura whispered.

"Hn."

Sakura thought for a minute, thinking of possible solutions "We should split up; you and I should go through the forest with Keiichi while the ministers and the guards stay on the original route."

Sasuke stared at the ground, weighing the pros and cons of this decision. "We leave in 10 minutes, get ready." Sakura nodded and disappeared into smoke.

They walked back to the clearing, telling the Daimyo's head guard about their plan; Keiichi's eyes followed Sasuke as he paced towards him, "We are splitting up your _highness_…"

Keiichi nodded and followed him; they walked into a forest trail, meeting Sakura further up the path. She was carrying two packs and another two were set on the ground, she nodded in acknowledgement, "We will be safer this way…" She said as she started walking.

Sasuke picked up the packs on the ground and walked in front of Sakura, whispering words unheard by Keiichi.

They travelled on foot, Sakura paced behind Keiichi, preparing for attacks from behind while Sasuke was naturally in front, checking for any traps or danger. Keiichi was panting, they've walked for almost an hour, and it was hard to keep up with Trained Shinobi he thought.

* * *

It was past noon when they reached a nearby village; they stopped for Lunch at a small restaurant. They sat on the stools, Sakura on the right and Sasuke on the left while Keiichi stayed in the middle. Two minutes passed before they were attended to, "Hello, my name is Mai and I will be serving you today." A waitress said, her voice sounded sickly sweet; she had brown hair, tied up into pigtails.

"Ara! You're a Shinobi?" She said trying to strike up a conversation with the stoic Uchiha. Sasuke merely grunted, annoyed by her presence, "I bet you're a strong one! I _love_ strong men" She said, winking at him suggestively.

"So did you get back from a missi-"

"Torikatsu and water." He said, glaring at the waitress, making her back off a bit; She turned to Keiichi "Hi, what will you have cutie?" Keiichi smiled. "I'll take the Tonkatsu…"

"Hai, I'll be back with your orde-"

"Ano.. You forgot mine." Said Sakura, visibly annoyed. Every time she'd go eat after with Sasuke and their Team, women would always fawn over her boys and forget all about her.

The waitress looked back and sighed, "May I get your order miss?" She asked unenthusiastically, holding the order sheet in her hand.

Sakura scoffed and stomped her foot on the ground, making it shake a bit; the waitress stumbled, "Yeah, I'll have Miso soup and Tempura" She said, smiling mischievously.

The waitress turned away and scurried off, Sakura stuck her tongue out, making a face. Sasuke glanced at her, amused and smirked. Keiichi however seemed oblivious to what just happened.

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Their food came 15 minutes later, "Ittadakimasu!" said Sakura, digging into her food. Sasuke and Keiichi muttered the same; they finished their meal and paid. Sakura went to the ladies' room, leaving Sasuke and Keiichi alone outside.

"Uchiha Sasuke huh? Keiichi said, glancing at him.

"Hn." Sasuke grunted, looking at the surroundings, "I heard you and Sakura are team-mates… So, does she have a boyfriend?" He asked, earning a glare from the Uchiha.

"What's with the glare buddy? I was just asking… it's not like _you're_ her boyfriend... Are you?"

"Hn, if I am..?" Sasuke replied, head tilting to the side, his eyes challenging the purple headed man.

Keiichi didn't get the chance to reply, Sakura walked out from the restaurant, "Hey guys, what did I miss?" She asked.

"Hn."

Keiichi placed his arm around her shoulders, "Nothing much…" he said, smiling; he looked back at the Uchiha, winking at him.

"-But Uchiha here said that we've got to get moving though" Sakura took his arm off her shoulders.

"Sasuke-kun?"

"We're moving out." He said, taking off. Sakura and Keiichi followed him and went back on their way.

* * *

They ran with speed on the tree branches, they were now near the border of the land of Fire and The land of Hot water. Sasuke sensed a group of 6 people, possibly jounins, trailing behind them; He glanced over to Sakura and she nodded; understanding what he meant.

_Enemies were drawing closer…_

Sakura weaved her hands together, performing a series of hand signs; a clone appeared, she sent the clone to take Keiichi and hide somewhere, they disappeared with a poof!

When the clone and Keiichi left, a loud explosion went off behind them, 6 figures could be seen trailing close to them. Sasuke unsheathed his Kusanagi, preparing for battle.

Sakura ran, drawing 3 Kunais from her pouch and threw it behind her, The 6 Shinobi was gaining on them; Sasuke and Sakura leapt down waiting for confrontation.

A man stopped in front of them, 5 people behind him, they were not wearing any forehead protectors, no sign of their origin. "Well, Well Well… What do we have here? The Traitor and his little nurse! Isn't that cute"

"Hn." He grunted, Sakura was enraged, muttering _Bastard_ under her breath.

The man threw his head back and laughed, "What was that girly? Just because you're the Hokage's apprentice doesn't mean I can't beat ya!" He yelled, grasping his blade as he leapt up to land a blow on Sasuke.

Sakura rammed the ground with her Chakra infused fist, sending waves across the floor, shaking it. She disappeared as a gust of wind carrying Cherry blossom petals blew, taking out vision. She leapt from tree to tree throwing Kunais with exploding tags below; Sasuke turned his Sharingan on, dodging Sakura's barricade of kunai. His body was surrounded by electricity, cascading down his Kusanagi and he attacked.

Sakura was panting heavily; she finished taking half of their enemies down. The clash of steel could be heard; grunts and yelps filled the area, blood dripping down the floor. _Four enemies were dead, two were left._

Meanwhile, Sasuke stood in front of a man, leaning against a tree for support, his wounds were ghastly, he held his arm, his bones shattered from Sakura's blows earlier.

Sasuke marched towards him, His Kusanagi in hand.

"P-please! Don't!" begged the wounded man.

Sasuke looked at him, eyes dark. "Why should I let you live? Who sent you?!" He asked, pointing his blade against the man's neck.

"I-I..." A kunai went flying towards the man's head killing him instantly.

Sasuke cursed, he picked up the Kunai and smelled it, examining its workmanship, with a blank scroll and gave it to his snake summoning before it slithered away. His eyes flickered towards the sky; _the kunai was made from Cloud…_

Sakura ran towards him, she was bruised but not badly. "Sasuke-kun, you're bleeding!" She said, placing her hands on his back, Green Chakra flowing out.

"Hn. It's nothing, leave it" He groaned, standing up.

Sasuke turned to Sakura, "Where did you hide the Daimyo's son?" He asked, picking up his Kusanagi from the floor.

"I took him in a cave… well my clone did." She replied.

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Sasuke and Sakura sped towards the cave, panting as they reached it. The sun was sinking, it was already 5pm.

They saw Keiichi sitting along Sakura's clone before it poofed away, "Sakura! Are you okay?!" He asked, running towards her haggard form.

Flashing him a reassuring smile, she replied. "Hai, don't worry Keiichi I'm fine"

Keiichi stared at the two wounded Shinobi, Sakura was telling Sasuke off because he didn't want to be healed, telling her that it will heal naturally, and that he was fine.

They were talking animatedly against the rocks, Keiichi felt left out.

He could see the way the Uchiha gazed at her intensely and how she responded softly, He could feel the unspoken feelings in the air, making him sick. He saw how the Sharingan wielder's hands lingered near Sakura's hand and how her smile seems more alive as they talked.

Sasuke stood up, "I'll go get food" He said, walking out the cave, leaving Keiichi alone with Sakura who was reading a scroll silently across the room.

* * *

Sasuke paced towards the small river near the cave, sending electric wave into the water, paralyzing any fish passing through his net.

He felt a sudden pain on his neck, it felt like a thousand needles pricking his skin, Sasuke rubbed it and pushed the thought away, thinking that it was only due to fatigue. He caught three medium-sized fishes, tugging at the net's string as he made his way back to the cave, neck still burning with pain.

* * *

Hi again, I hope you liked the chapter... I'm terribly sorry that it took so long to post since I was dreading the fight scene but I hope you enjoyed it. I tend to skim fight scenes in fics so it's not really my forte. Please do leave a review! :))))


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